Supercars legend Craig Lowndeshas officially left with his famous No.888, concluding a 20-year relationship that included three brands and sixBathurst 1000 victories.
Lowndes departed Triple Eight Race Engineering at the conclusion of the previous season following the teammoved from General Motors to Ford for 2026. Lowndes is a worldwide GM ambassador.
Having been utilized solely for Lowndes' co-driving and occasional entries since he stepped back from full-time racing at the end of 2018, the three-time champion has now passed the number to the current Triple Eight driver.Will Brown.
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"This figure is legendary for the team," Lowndes stated in a release.
In motorsport and athletics, sponsors come and go, team colors shift, and uniforms evolve.
But this is Triple Eight Race Engineering, that's the team's number and it's renowned for the achievements from this workshop.
Lowndes initially used the number when he became part of the former Ford team for the 2005 campaign. He secured 58 victories, including six of Lowndes' seven Bathurst titles, 130 podium finishes, and 29 pole positions.
He took it with him as the team relocated to Holden in 2010, and later to Chevrolet in 2023.
Lowndes has joined Team 18, which has replaced Triple Eight as the General Motors certification squad, for the 2026 long-distance season at The Bend and Bathurst.
He will remain the senior driver in the Supercheap Auto-supported guest entry, teamed up with a younger driver.
When I first arrived, I was fortunate to have the number and witness its legacy continuing, it's a famous number for the sport, and a significant one for the team, so it will be really exciting to see the car racing with that number on its side.
I am familiar with Will quite well, and I believe he will carry on that legacy proudly.
He's undoubtedly a remarkable young talent, which seems unusual for someone already being a Supercars champion, he's a confirmed young talent.
I believe the new manufacturer, the new car, and the new number are all a positive move, and I think at the beginning of the season he'll be strong right from the start.
Brown wore the No.87 during his first season with Triple Eight in 2024, and switched to No.1 last year as the champion.
He mentioned that discussing Lowndes moving to 888 was a straightforward discussion.
"Clearly, there's a lot of history involved, I've been watching the No.888 race for years now, ever since I began following the sport," he said.
I didn't have any doubts, I've already had two fantastic years with the team – an incredible year with the championship victory and a strong year last year as we fought all the way to Adelaide, so it was very meaningful for me to begin discussing 2026 and my race number.
Since Craig has left the team, he believed it was best for the No.888 number to remain with Triple Eight; he was very eager for it to stay here.
That was a very straightforward discussion, considering how significant it was to him. I'm genuinely thrilled about racing with that number.
The V8 Supercars campaign kicks off at night in Sydney on February 20.
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